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Once a year during winters,
the sands around Jaisalmer come alive with the
brilliant colors, music and laughter of the Desert
Festival. Dressed in brilliantly hued costumes,
the people of the desert dance and sing haunting
ballads of valor, romance and tragedy. The fair
has snake charmers, puppeteers, acrobats and folk
performers.
Camels, of course, play a
stellar role in this festival, where the rich and
colorful folk culture of Rajasthan is on show. The
festival closes with an enchanting sound and light
show amidst the sand dunes on a moonlit night.
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The Jaisalmer fort provides
an ethereal backdrop to the annual desert
festival. Sponsored by the Rajasthan State Tourism
Corporation, this festival is a joyful celebration
of the traditional performing arts and creative
crafts of Rajasthan.
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CELEBRATIONS
A few days before the spring full moon according
to the Hindu calendar, musicians, dancers and
performers from all over Rajasthan start moving in
colorful camel caravans towards the golden town of
Jaisalmer, which dons a festive look. The
otherwise barren landscape is splashed with
vibrant colors marking the opening of the Desert
Festival. The 12th century fort of Jaisalmer,
built in yellow sandstone, provides a fairytale
background. Over the years, the desert dwellers in
their solitude have woven a fascinating tapestry
with threads of music and rhythm and the Desert
Festival is a celebration of their heritage. It is
a chance of a lifetime to see the folk art forms
against the landscape that has nurtured them for
hundreds of years.
With the arrival
of the artists, a delightful series of programs
begins in and around Jaisalmer. There is music
everywhere and at every given hour. Through the
winding lanes of the fortified town to the sand
dunes and even the rivers of abandoned villages,
the music casts a potent spell. Beginning at
sunrise, it reaches its zenith under the umbrella
of the star-studded sky. Though it is mainly a
festival of the performing arts, there are several
other events that give a glimpse of the desert
culture.
Through the day,
visitors can come face to face with the desert
craftsmen. Exquisitely embroidered skirts,
hand-woven shawls, rugs, carvings on wood and
stone, camel decorations, embroidered leather
bags, ethnic silver jewelry and terracotta are
brought in from all over the desert. These
skillfully achieved crafts are objects d'art for
the handicraft buff.
Evenings are meant for the main shows of music and
dance. Vibrating desert drums can be heard for
miles around. Nearly all the variations of
performing arts of these desert people are
displayed. Continuing till late into the night,
the number of spectators swells up each night and
the grand finale, on the full moon night, takes
place by silvery sand dunes.
Although the basic design of the festival remains
the same, each year there are a few new events.
Some of the most spectacular and memorable shows
of past festivals have been the dream-like
pageant, "Blood, Blade and Romance" on the sand
dunes recreating the legendary past; the camel
tattoo of the Border Security Force, which has a
highly trained camel corps to guard the western
border; and the pulsating folk ensemble of a
hundred musicians.
RITUALS
Camels are not just beasts of burden but an
integral part of the desert life and the camel
events confirm this fact. Special efforts go into
dressing the animal for entering the spectacular
competition of the best-dressed camel.
Interestingly, there is a folk song to describe
the making of the camel's necklace-the Gorband.
Camel owners vie with each other for winning the
camel races and a feeling of pride is discernible
both in the eyes of the owner and his mount that
wins. To add some more fun and color, the camel
show has two unique events - the camel polo and
the camel dance.
Other
interesting competitions on the fringes are the
moustache and turban tying competitions, which not
only demonstrate a glorious tradition but also
inspire its preservation. Both the turban and the
moustache have been centuries old symbols of honor
in Rajasthan. Keeping the moustache twisted upwards
meant keeping the pride intact while drooping
moustaches conveyed complete surrender. Tying a
turban is not only an intriguing tradition but an
art as well. Varying styles of tying the turban and
colors describe the caste, region and also the
occasion. To the viewers, it appears complicated but
those who have inherited the tradition tie a turban
out of meters of cloth at the blink of an eye.
LEGENDS
Unlike the major
festivals of Rajasthan, the desert festival has no
legends to recount. It is a created event but the
music traditions of the desert are so fascinating
that conceiving the musical festival came as
almost a natural solution for facilitating their
preservation. It was also inspired by the Music
Festival of Salzburg-though totally different in
concept and content. Both the towns exude music
and have a heavy inflow of tourists. But unlike
the Salzburg Festival, the shows of the Jaisalmer
Festival are not ticketed. Sponsored by the state
tourism corporation, it has been designed to
promote tourism in the enigmatic Thar Desert.
Once the
festival is over, it certainly leaves behind a
nostalgic feeling. Some connoisseurs of music have
been to the festival more than once and there is a
tourist from Holland who has attended the festival
four times.
Today, this traditional extravaganza is a coveted
event for music lovers-the performers as well as the
listeners. For the performers, it has become a
prestigious event to participate in. It has also
helped find new talent and expended patronage to
many artistes.
REGIONAL
CELEBRATIONS
Jaisalmer is the only place where this desert
festival is celebrated with great zest and zeal.
Rajasthan being a popular tourist destination, the
festival adds to its color.
PLACES TO VISIT
In order to witness its colorful festivities, one
must visit Jaisalmer, the golden sand dunes where
the festival takes place every year.
GETTING THERE
One can reach Jodhpur from any of the major cities
by air and from Jodhpur one can go to the venue of
the desert festival by taking any of the road
transport options that are easily available there.
Jodhpur is the nearest big city to Jaisalmer, which
is well connected to the venue of the Desert
Festival. It is also well connected by train and
buses.
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Indian Fair
& Festivals
Taj
Mahotsav
/
Desert
Fair
/
Suraj
Kund Mela
/
Gangaur
Festival
/
Pushkar
Fair
/
Elephant
Fair
/
International
Kite Festival
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